Domesticity

Gift Science Archive began as a performance aimed at making space in the home studio. Unlike many other artists who maintain a working space separate from their domestic space, Sands blurs those lines. In so doing, he draws on feminist praxis at the threshold between art and life — a threshold that is characterised by its domesticity. In the artist’s work, his home surrounds, as well as his familial and kinship networks, appear again and again, from the role of his husband ROBIN as photographer for many of his performance and performative projects, to the appearance of his mother, father and sister in early signature works. Outside of his own family, Sands also tracks the kin relations of key feminist artists like HANNAH WILKE or Eva Hesse in his work, as well as the conceptual framework that contours our contemporary understandings of art/life boundaries and domesticity itself.

Art as all that affective LABOR.
Life as that daily mark-making practice unfolding in DRAWINGS + SKETCHES. – MH.

Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00055-1993/1995-C-SignatureCollage-034
  • Title
  • Signature Collage
  • Dimensions
  • 15 x 10
  • Materials
  • photo print and oil crayon
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

“Me and my dad (Ragen), showing him a drawing of “the prodigal son returns” from art school (Pratt). My dad makes art for himself, and for us. So did my great-grandmother. When it was necessary for everything to be called feminist art in the 70s for the movement, I was already familiar with women art. My examples were never people who were in the market, and it was never my intent.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00059-1993/1995-C-SignatureCollage-038
  • Title
  • Signature Collage
  • Dimensions
  • 9 x 12.5
  • Materials
  • Color print and oil crayon
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

“Backyard in Kansas, sister (Laura) and dog (Zoe).” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00061-1993/1995-C-SignatureCollage-040
  • Title
  • Signature Collage
  • Dimensions
  • 25 x 20.5
  • Materials
  • Black and white photo print and oil crayon
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

Self-printed. Photo of Sands mother (Marjorie) at the pancake restaurant in NY.

  • Reflection Notes

“Construction of your own history. What you remember and what you don’t remember. The history that I feel part of is abstract expression.” – SMW and AC.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00549-2009-PP-IntimacyAutonomyAfterJoanSemme…
  • Title
  • Intimacy-Autonomy, After Joan Semmel
  • Dimensions
  • Variable (40 x 60)
  • Materials
  • Digital image file
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Location: Sands and Robin’s apartment (Swammerdamstraat). Photographer: self-shot. Shown in an ‘off Pride’ festival in Zürich, Switzerland in 2009.

  • Reflection Notes

From 27. April 2020 (WeTransfer notes): “7 images including the cat (Betsie) on the bed and Robin and my body are an homage series to Joan Semmel’s work ‘Intimacy-Autonomy’ from 1974. She has never seen them (Joan) and probably never will.” – SMW. From 24. March 2020 (in email exchange): “here are the images too (just found them) which were printed fairly large and hung in sequence… i think there was only one image of our former cat Betsie in the sun… … then the Eva Hesse book on the floor and then the three nude images of us in the sun on the bed… … .i am going to start making domestic images again especially now that we are stuck inside! (but with sun, thank goddess!); https://artschaft.com/2018/09/... THIS IS THE JOAN SEMMEL PAINTING IMAGE FROM MY BIRTH YEAR ‘INTIMACY/AUTONOMY’ WHICH I ADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDORE AND WHICH WE ARE REFERRING TO IN THESE IMAGES :)” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00265-2001-PsW2000-MyMotherAndITalked
  • Title
  • My Mother And I Talked
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Poster marker and pen on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

Inventorying session + invited archivist (IA) meeting – 15.09.20. “My grandmother was an abstract expressionist painter, and she never exhibited her work in galleries, it was only for herself, and she only started painting when she was in her forties. This is the energy that I wanted to be part of.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00250-c2001-PsW2000-DOMESTICITY,SECURITY?
  • Title
  • DOMESTICITY, SECURITY?
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Poster marker and pen on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

Rijksakademie Internal Open Studios – 07.09.20. “Part of what I do is giving things away, which is why I don’t like the market-and why I haven’t been very successful.” – SMW. “Who does?” – Anon. “No one likes the market!” – SMW, AC and Anon.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 01443-2012-TP-EVAHESSESMOTHER
  • Title
  • EVA HESSE'S MOTHER
  • Dimensions
  • 62 x 55 (appx)
  • Materials
  • Pure silk and acrylic paint
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

The spiral form comes from a portrait of Eva Hesse by Mel Bochner from c. 1966.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01414-2020-MaPi-ConversationSandsAndRobin-004
  • Title
  • Conversation Sands and Robin
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 5 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 24.07.20. Location: house Sands and Robin, Swammerdamstraat 4E, Amsterdam. Images taken right after a recorded conversation with Sands and Robin, featuring cat Duman, Robin and Sands on the couch, and self-portrait in mirror of Radna.

  • Reflection Notes

“Sands and Robin together on the couch, a few minutes after I stopped recording. A bit tired after talking for 2 hours and 20 minutes, but also excited and happy-it felt like everyone in the room knew this was an important conversation somehow. SMW and RWM surrounded by works they have been collecting, and a framed drawing from Sands on the left.” – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Robin Wassink-Murray

  • Catalog No.
  • 00128-2009-PSP-BigPumpkinSeries-027
  • Title
  • Big Pumpkin Series
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Live action
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Location: Moen Island, Denmark at Frederikke Hansen’s former house.

  • Reflection Notes

“I love my ass/hole but these are very specific parts of the body…” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 01477-2020-DN-WhyIAmArchiving
  • Title
  • Why am I archiving
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Digital word document file
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Written by SMW on the occasion of the Rijks 150-year anniversary publication.

  • Reflection Notes

Inventorying session + invited archivist (IA) meeting – 15.09.20. “Did anybody ever ask you why you are archiving? Why bother? [… ] Why an archive? Why a painting, a sculpture? Why get up in the morning? Why breathe?” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Robin Wassink-Murray

  • Catalog No.
  • 02381-2019-FwPP-Carolee+Sands
  • Title
  • Carolee + Sands Magic Hair Pyramid & Working 2000 x 3
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Construction in hand-carved, hand-gilded frame (triangle) and three framed signed works (rectangles) of photo collages printed from slides
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

“Above: Carolee had a knot in her hair. We were in her hotel room in Frankfurt where we met for her retrospective in 2017. She asked me if I could help to comb her hair and untangle the knot, and she insisted that Robin photograph it as a performance. Below: In 2000 in the first house that Robin and I shared together in Amsterdam, which was 19 square meters, I was on the phone arranging a purchase from Ronald Feldman Gallery of ‘Handle with Care,’ a work by Hannah Wilke. As Robin often does, he documented the action as a work.” – SMW.

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Listings connecting to the keyword “Domesticity” (676)

Image of Studio object

Photographer: Robin Wassink-Murray

  • Catalog No.
  • 00105-2009-PSP-BigPumpkinSeries-004
  • Title
  • Big Pumpkin Series
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Live action
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Location: Moen Island, Denmark at Frederikke Hansen’s former house.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Robin Wassink-Murray

  • Catalog No.
  • 00137-2009-PSP-BigPumpkinSeries-036
  • Title
  • Big Pumpkin Series
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Live action
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Location: Moen Island, Denmark at Frederikke Hansen’s former house.

  • Reflection Notes

“Rural scents can turn you into Cinderella or // sink your carriage in the dirt. // S-h-e smokes industrial cigarettes. // Humans turned to pumpkins. // Take the other path, they said. We are not all made to be pretty little red riding hoods with plenty of food to appease the masters. // We are all not that organic.” – AC.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Robin Wassink-Murray

  • Catalog No.
  • 00169-2009-PSP-BigPumpkinSeries-068
  • Title
  • Big Pumpkin Series
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Live action
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Location: Moen Island, Denmark at Frederikke Hansen’s former house.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00201-c2000-PsW2000-MYLIFE
  • Title
  • MY LIFE
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Pen and poster marker on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

“I would have just disappeared, this work would have never been seen. It’s a weird feeling to look back.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00234-2000-PsW2000-PositiveAftertaste
  • Title
  • Positive Aftertaste
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Pen on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00271-c2001-PsW2000-Me
  • Title
  • Me
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Pen on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

Psychic self-portrait. ‘Love to you – Friday Kahlo’ note on the back of the paper.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00303-2001-PsW2000-MyWholeBody
  • Title
  • My Whole Body
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Poster marker and pen on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

April 3rd 2001.

  • Reflection Notes

SMW & AC inventorying session – 24.09.20. “One big thing you can do is talk about your experience of your own body.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00337-2000-PsW2000-TheStrangeThing
  • Title
  • The Strange Thing
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Poster marker on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

“Any idea what the pink represents?” – AC. “Consciousness? Energy? *laughter* I guess I had to feel the head. It feels kind of trashy.” – SMW. “I guess that is the purpose.” – AC. “It is the purpose.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00369-2002-PsW2000-CloudSketch(Green)
  • Title
  • Cloud Sketch (Green)
  • Dimensions
  • 36 x 49
  • Materials
  • Gold pen, tissue paper and glue on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

“If one person can fall in love with your art…” – AC. “That's why Robin is so important in my practice. He is a witness. I would finish something and run into the room to show him.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00412-2001-PsW2000-Anus=Vulva
  • Title
  • Anus = Vulva
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Poster marker and pen on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Reflection Notes

“That’s how I feel mostly, when I’m working – like I’m in a club.” – SMW. “Being on the receiving end of pleasure.” – AC. “This is why I’ve been so fixated in bottomness. It’s not common. Gay men always identified on the top side.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 00455-2020-DN-PerduLetter
  • Title
  • Perdu Letter
  • Dimensions
  • 21 x 29.7
  • Materials
  • Color copy of typed letter with drawing and scent card
  • Object Location
  • Physical
  • Technical Notes

Created for ‘The dear…’ series initiated by Martha Jager in Spring 2020.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 01256-c2000-PsW2000-ToBeAmbitious
  • Title
  • To Be Ambitious
  • Dimensions
  • 42 x 59
  • Materials
  • Poster marker on paper
  • Object Location
  • Physical

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 01949-1993/1995/2019-S-UnlabelledDigitizedSl…
  • Title
  • Unlabelled Digitized Slide #3
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Digital image file
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Documentation of SMW’s earliest mature works, which were digitized on occasion of the If I Can’t Dance Kick-off Introductory event and used in SMW’s ‘Up To And Including His Limits’ lecture performance (October 2019). *Note: images can be printed or made into photo-objects upon request.


  • Reflection Notes

“These are indeed my earliest works that I have documents of. I had some even earlier works that are with my parents in Topeka, Kansas. A lot of this digitized work is there too. It’s mainly from the period at Pratt Institute, also when Carolee Schneemann was my teacher. It was a super hard period, but out of it came this for me diamond like work. Some of these bleed into time at the Rietveld Academie and De Ateliers in the very first four months I was there and into 1995. I still count these works as being very foundational to what I do and who I am. When I sell from this period the work is more expensive than work I am making now.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 01981-1993/1995/2019-S-UnlabelledDigitizedSl…
  • Title
  • Unlabelled Digitized Slide #35
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Digital image file
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Documentation of SMW’s earliest mature works, which were digitized on occasion of the If I Can’t Dance Kick-off Introductory event and used in SMW’s ‘Up To And Including His Limits’ lecture performance (October 2019). *Note: images can be printed or made into photo-objects upon request.

  • Reflection Notes

“These are indeed my earliest works that I have documents of. I had some even earlier works that are with my parents in Topeka, Kansas. A lot of this digitized work is there too. It’s mainly from the period at Pratt Institute, also when Carolee Schneemann was my teacher. It was a super hard period, but out of it came this for me diamond like work. Some of these bleed into time at the Rietveld Academie and De Ateliers in the very first four months I was there and into 1995. I still count these works as being very foundational to what I do and who I am. When I sell from this period the work is more expensive than work I am making now.” – SMW.

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Image of Studio object

  • Catalog No.
  • 02013-1993/1995/2019-S-UnlabelledDigitizedSl…
  • Title
  • Unlabelled Digitized Slide #66
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • Digital image file
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Documentation of SMW’s earliest mature works, which were digitized on occasion of the If I Can’t Dance Kick-off Introductory event and used in SMW’s ‘Up To And Including His Limits’ lecture performance (October 2019). *Note: images can be printed or made into photo-objects upon request.

  • Reflection Notes

“These are indeed my earliest works that I have documents of. I had some even earlier works that are with my parents in Topeka, Kansas. A lot of this digitized work is there too. It’s mainly from the period at Pratt Institute, also when Carolee Schneemann was my teacher. It was a super hard period, but out of it came this for me diamond like work. Some of these bleed into time at the Rietveld Academie and De Ateliers in the very first four months I was there and into 1995. I still count these works as being very foundational to what I do and who I am. When I sell from this period the work is more expensive than work I am making now.” – SMW.

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